The Story of a Wanna Be Scientist
by elilover2
Summary: As Finn and Jake watch the Ice King's secret tapes they discover something they never expected. Gunther, the one penguin Ice King truly loves, is a human. In is manic change from scientist to King, Ice King invariably ruins his one chance at a saving grace, and loses his last remaining friend in the process.


**A/N: So, obviously this is a bit AU...and maybe a bit OOC. Who knows. Gunther is a guy because I like it that way, so yeah. I just got this idea randomly, it's probably horribly executed, I know it might not be likable in any way-but I tried.**

_"Day 23: _

_Time is hazy now, I'm not sure how long it's been. I can only keep track by the times at the beginning of these videos, but I can't even trust those anymore."_

Finn and Jake stared transfixed at the screen. The Ice King, though not really the Ice King, had been like this for 23 videos now. They'd watched his slow downfall into his current state, too horrified to take it all in, only really staring at the moving picture now.

"Duude," Jake breathed, but fell silent without saying more. Even BMO had no words of wisdom or advice. He was only paying the films, staying silent the whole time.

"BMO…" Finn started, paused, then continued, "Fast forward."

Even Finn the great hero needed a break from the terrible event he was witnessing.

He was feeling PITY for the Ice King, his mortal foe, and he didn't like it. Not that the Ice King or, as he was slowly becoming in Finn's mind, Simon, didn't DESERVE pity. Finn just wasn't used to pitying people he normally tried to maim or kill.

BMO obediently sped the tape up, causing the frantic Simon on the screen to move at a comically fast pace. Finn didn't laugh though, it wasn't any funnier to watch the man's pain sped up then it was to watch it slowed down. It was oddly sickening, mainly depressing, and Finn closed his eyes.

But, before he could open his mouth and have the thing stopped, Jake spoke up.

"Dude! Duuude! Open your eyes! Look!"

Finn, grimacing slightly, did as he was told.

"BMO go back! And slow down!" Jake barked and BMO complied, rewinding the tape until Finn tilted his head bemusedly, as a new figure appeared on the screen. It wasn't a penguin or the girl they'd been introduced to in the first video, the one who'd left. This one was what appeared to be a teenage boy, with dark hair and pale skin, who looked angry.

"Play! Play!" Jake commanded and the rewinding stopped, there was a seconds pause, and then the video began again.

_"Simon?" The boy looked confused and angry. Simon turned to look at him, his eyes wide as if caught in the middle of stealing something. He whipped the crown, for he'd been wearing it with a manic kind of glee, off his head._

_"Gunther, I thought I told you to go for a walk. Fresh air is important you know."_

"Wait, that's-" Finn began, shocked, but Jake shushed him and motioned towards the screen.

_"-supposed to wear it." Gunther was finishing an accusatory statement that caused Simon's cheeks to flush. His hands, which were clutching the crown greedily, twitched slightly._

_"You know nothing of this." Simon barked. His slowly whitening hair shook into his eyes but he made no move to fix it. Gunther crossed his arms._

_"I know more than you. I told you not to wear it."_

_"You're just a boy!" Simon yelled and Gunther scowled, looking worried now. However, his expression morphed into steely defiance before long, and he pointed at the crown._

_"Get rid of it or I'm leaving."_

_And with that he left Simon alone, who watched him guiltily before turning to the camera._

_"No matter, he doesn't mean it." He muttered to himself and turned the camera off with a click._

As the screen turned black Finn scrambled in the box for the next one, tossing aside other's carelessly. He found it before long and quickly replaced the first, taking his place beside Jake, who was looking dumbstruck. They both stared at the screen as it slowly morphed into the usual starting picture: the Ice King, Simon, with his ever whitening hair and his slowly growing beard.

_"I've lost track of the days now." Simon paced back and forth in front of the camera, clawing at his face and raking his fingers through his white hair, "I don't know anything anymore."  
He was muttering feverishly, eyes alight with insanity, mouth twisted into a grimace. He twisted his fingers together nervously and constantly brushed the crown on his head, as if afraid he would lose it._

_"I can feel new powers surging through me, a new kind of control that I've never known before. I feel powerful, but I don't know how to harness these powers yet." _

_He seemed to consider something, then pushed forward._

_"Except when I'm angry." His voice suddenly lost its briskness and became manic, "I can do things when I'm angry. Strong emotion, perhaps, is the key to these new powers."_

_He considered the floor, hands caressing the crown as he did so._

_"Strong emotion perhaps…but that can't be. I must be able to use them more than that. It wouldn't be fair, wouldn't be right, if I wasn't able."_

_He swore and threw the crown, allowing it to hit the wall with a bang._

_"Not when I've lost so much!"_

_"Not when I've lost so much…" He mumbled and bent to pick up the crown, inspecting its surface with a detached curiosity. He stroked the faded gold surface and made as if to kiss it. Before it touched his lips, however, he placed it back on his head._

_He was pacing again, fingers twitching and jerking, eyes roaming the room. He seemed to be absorbed in some other world, too focused on what wasn't there to see what was. As he paced, Gunther entered the room, looking furious._

_"I thought I told you to leave that alone!" He yelled and Simon snapped back to reality, looking enraged. His face was crazed, wild. _

_"You know nothing!" He retaliated as Gunther moved towards him, arms outstretched. Gunther attempted to grab the crown, but Simon moved deftly out of reach._

_"You are just a child!" He remonstrated as Gunther lunged again, "A mere boy!"_

_"I'm a scientist!" Gunther yelled back, looking livid and scared, "And I know that that crown isn't anything good!"_

_"You know nothing!" Simon reiterated and Gunther swiped at the crown again, missing and smacking Simon in the face. Simon looked terribly, horribly, scarily angry. _

_Gunther opened his mouth to retort, but caught sight of Simon's expression and froze. All the anger seemed to melt from his face, leaving only pale terror behind. Simon raised his hands, wild fury and glee on his face._

_"You know nothing!" _

_With this proclamation, a jet of light issued from Simon's hands, and hit Gunther square in the chest. Gunther froze, momentarily paralyzed, then hit the ground with a thud. Simon laughed as the boy writhed and twitched on the ground, the odd light surrounding him. It grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding and you were unable to make out Gunther in the middle._

And then, with no warning, the light disappeared.

And, where Gunther had once been, there was only a penguin.


End file.
